There's more to the beloved mascot than meets the eye!
Meet the Pillsbury Doughboy’s Long-Lost Family
Published on Apr. 24, 2025
Like Mr. Peanut, the Kool-Aid Man and Tony the Tiger, the Pillsbury Doughboy is one of the most legendary food mascots of all time. And for good reason! He’s absolutely adorable, he’s soft and doughy, and his sweet laugh will make you wish you could bring him home with you. In fact, for many years, you could. Believe it or not, you used to be able to buy Pillsbury Doughboy dolls and all kinds of other related products.
While the Pillsbury Doughboy may be a household name, you might not be familiar with the rest of his family. That’s right: The Pillsbury Doughboy has big, doughy family filled with equally adorable, sweet characters. Keep reading to learn more about the Doughboy’s nearest and dearest, as well as his real name.
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Who are the Pillsbury Doughboy’s family members?
When he’s not starring in one of 600-plus ads for more than 50 Pillsbury products, the Pillsbury Doughboy is probably spending time with his family and friends. The Pillsbury Doughboy was turned into a vinyl doll in 1972, and his first friend to make her debut was Poppie Fresh, whose vinyl doll was released in 1973. Shortly thereafter, Pillsbury introduced his grandparents, Granmommer and Granpopper, his Uncle Rollie, and his son and daughter, Popper and Bun-Bun. The Pillsbury Doughboy even has pets! He’s got a dog named Flapjack and a cat named Biscuit.
If you happen to have any of the doughy dolls stashed in your attic, there is a good chance they’re worth money.
Why haven’t we seen them lately?
If you’re wondering why you haven’t seen the Pillsbury Doughboy or his family and friends lately, you’re not alone. While the mascot was the face of Pillsbury for more than five decades, things have changed in recent years.
“As the world has grown more serious, Pillsbury faced some controversy in 2020 when the company was accused of operating a factory illegally (under the parent company General Mills) in occupied Palestinian territory,” says branding expert Cheryl Conner, CEO of SnappConner PR. “In fact, activists called for a company boycott in 2022.” However, the issue resolved itself the following year when General Mills backed away from the controversial territory.
Despite the seriousness of the issues at hand, Pillsbury handled the Doughboy’s less visible role with a lighthearted touch. The brand released an announcement that the mascot “was sadly being retired, as he had been a terrible office-mate who ‘smelled like yeast’ and took pleasure in wedging himself into small corners of the company fridge, as well as distracting his co-workers with his continual giggles,” says Conner.
What’s the family’s origin story?
Believe it or not, the Pillsbury Doughboy almost didn’t see the light of day! He was designed by the Leo Burnett advertising agency in 1965 to help make otherwise boring grocery items more fun and delightful.
“As the story goes, the character almost didn’t make it out of the studio, but when he did, he became an instant commercial success, in no small part because he was no ordinary mascot logo,” says Conner. He was so much more than people were used to seeing from a food mascot; the Pillsbury Doughboy was a complex claymation video until he was later replaced by computer-generated imagery, or CGI.
According to Conner, his popularity became so vast that Pillsbury created an entire family, complete with plenty of delightful puns. “He became a cultural icon and a merchandising extravaganza through toys, ceramics, piggybanks, cupcake toppers, logo clothing and more,” she adds.
What else did we not know about the Pillsbury Doughboy?
Even though we all know and love the Pillsbury Doughboy and his signature “Hoo-hoo!” most people are surprised to learn that he has a real name! The Pillsbury Doughboy goes by Poppin’ Fresh, a name that perfectly represents all that Pillsbury stands for—and all the delicious products he endorses. Poppin’ Fresh may be retired for now, but his legacy is here to stay. And here’s a fun fact: Even today, Poppin’ Fresh always has a giant balloon in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
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Sources:
- Pillsbury: “How Well Do You Know the Pillsbury Doughboy?”
- Cheryl Conner, branding expert and CEO of SnappConner PR; interviewed, April 2025
